More User Reviews:

I wanna say this is finally the last of the beers from my Trader Joe's jag. What a ride. It pours a straight onyx topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, cocoa powder, and a very tiny thrust of maple syrup. The taste follows pretty closely, though the syrup is definitely nowhere to be seen and the cocoa is slightly dryer. The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a pretty smooth feel. Overall, a pretty nice oatmeal stout. 'Nuff said.

Bloody chocolate that falls just short of opaque. A wide band of cherry juice red can be seen along the bottom edge of the glass, while an attractive 'wheat toast brown' head occupies the upper several inches. A thick necklace of lace is forming as the foam begins to melt. This is a classic looking stout.

What an incredible nose! Can't go wrong with bushel basketfuls of roasted barley malt. The immediate atmosphere is filled with scents of freshly brewed coffee and melting bittersweet chocolate. If the flavor follows suit, this is going to be a wonderously delicious oatmeal stout.

Not quite, but that's doesn't mean I don't love it. The ABV tastes and feels like it's somewhere in the vicinity of 6.0%. That's amazing when one considers the explosiveness of the flavor. It's great when brewers pack so much palate punch into a beer that is so flat-out drinkable.

For an oatmeal stout (Goose Island says that it's 'in the Irish tradition'), there's quite a bit of roastiness and smoky char. Can't forget the classic stout flavors of black joe and dark chocolate. Sweet and bitter are equally balanced; a better situation, I feel, than if one dominated.

The mouthfeel is the only (minor) letdown. I probably have an unfair bar set in terms of stout mouthfeels. I think they should have at least a little full creaminess. This one... doesn't quite get there. At least sessioners won't be bogged down.

It's been a long time since I had a Goose Island Oatmeal Stout. If I had access to Stockyard Oatmeal Stout (thanks for the extra Talisker), I'd do a side-by-side comparison. GI's standard version is pretty good, but I have sneaking suspicion that this beer would win going away.

Appearance  This beer looks gorgeous! Its a dark, dark brown in color with some ruby hues and a beautiful head. The head just covers the inside of my glass whenever I tip to drink. There are some cool-looking pits on top of the liquid that wont go away. Awesome!

Smell  The nose is a light mix of semi-roasty malts and a light oatmeal or cereal-type of aroma. I can pick up some sour milk along with some very light table sugar.

Taste  The sweetish oatmeal comes on a bit strong at the taste. This really is a well-balanced stout. Its equal parts oatmeal, sour milk, and roasted malts.

Mouthfeel  The body here is shy of medium but its rightfully balanced with some noticeable bitterness at the finish, although the sweetness keeps it from being overly harsh.

Drinkability  This was a good-drinking stout that is above average for the style. If you like Oatmeal Stouts you gotta try this one.

Comments  A super-big BA thanks to my good buddy skyhand for bringing this back from her visit to PA.

I too purchased this at Trader Joe's. Pours a nice black color with a nice tan head. Smells sweet, with aromas of roasted grains and coffee/chocolate tones. Very light mouthfeel with a strong coffee flavor upon first sip. I like my stout with a little more body than this..but it's still enjoyable.

A good brew for the price and it's brewed by Goose Island exclusively for Trader Joe's. Hints of chocolate and tobacco come through with further tasting. This would be a good beer to have with dessert. A good stout overall, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

Pours with a pretty dark body, nearly opaque but has some coke colored highlights. Head is light tan or khaki, small to start with and disappeared kinda quickly to leave a few scattered pockets of bubbles.

Fairly simple aroma, dark roasted malts with some milk chocolate sweetness. Taste again has the roasted malts and the oatmeal comes in here. Again some more chocolate but this time a little more bittersweet. Has a slight touch of char in the finish.

Mouthfeel is lacking, especially for an oatmeal stout, where is that creaminess? A bit overly carbonated too, comes across a little bit sharp on the tongue.

Okay drinkability, nothing that stands out too much. I could put a few of these back at a sitting but I'm a one beer kind of guy so I like the one I do have to be more substantial.

Presentation: 12 oz brown twist off long neck bottle with a freshness date on the back label.

Appearance: Fast frothing tan head, nearly pitch black and the head stays two fingers thick for a good while.

Smell: Sweet aroma of malt and oats, undertones of coffee and charcoal meld well with the sweetness.

Taste: The flexed smooth mouth feel is almost forceful in a good way and makes the medium body feel bigger than it actually is. Good balance of sweetness to roasted flavours, oat and malt sweetness is level and not cloying at all. Then comes a slowly growing yet mellow roasted flavour the suggests coffee and faint charcoal. Hops are modest and flavour a little with a light bitterness. More roasted flavours pull in with a softness and the sweetness rounds out the finish.

Notes: A very tasty Oatmeal Stout, low-key yet the flavours flow perfectly with the pleasing smoothness. Couple this brew with a fresh baked brownie or another chocolaty delight and you are all set.

This IS my go to brew. Anytime I want a cheap 6 pack that I know I will enjoy, this is the one I pick. 6 bucks at Trader Joe's. Better than some 10 dollar sixers I've had. Pours a dark brown. I can catch some light, but not a whole lot. Nice 1 inch tan head. Smells of malt and coffee. Tastes the same way, but the coffee is heavier on the palate than on the nose. Not a very heavy mouthfeel, possibly overly carbonated, but very drinkable. Possibly one of the better 1 dollar beers and by far the best year round beer at Trader Joe's.

Appearance: Pours a dark blackish brown with a little bit of ruby red on the bottom of the glass. Lots of rising bubbles and about two fingers of tan head that quickly fade away. Lacing is moderate.

Smell: A fairly strong roasty aroma of dark malts with some caramel and toffee. Hints of dark chocolate, coffee, oats, nuts, and a little bit of smoke. Smells pretty roasty and full for a smaller stout.

Taste: Very roasty and sweet. Lots of dark roasted caramel and toffee malts with some chocolate, coffee, oats, and vanilla. Also a little bit of brown sugar, molasses, and smoke. Taste is sweet but not over the top.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Creamy and very smooth.

Overall: A very good oatmeal stout. Full flavored and well balanced. One of the better non imperial stouts I've had.